Oerthly Troubles

591CY, Richfest 1 through 3

Richfest 1, 591CY

Amongst the throng entering the city this morning are a Druid called Ayla, the Jester known as Jacamo and a tiny Pixie of six inches named Trixie. Both Ayla and Jacamo enter the city, having their names taken and paying the required fee for a license to bear weapons within the city. Trixie stealthily steals a ride on Jacamo, avoiding note from the watch. Jacamo, being followed by Trixie, heads to the Performers Guild and pays a seasonal membership. Ayla follows the posters about “The G Factor” and heads to the Old Opera House to audition.

Aquissana and Huor are already at the Opera House. All three audition and make the first round, meeting for the first time afterwards near a couple of very large crates. The crates are unmarked, other than a list of guesses about what it might contain, Curiosity gets the better of the trio and they open the first crate. Up stands Sir Deluxe! After introductions the automaton leads his H.O.R.S.E. outside the Old Opera House… Where he is immediately harassed by one of the People’s Constables. As Sir Deluxe tries to talk his way out of the looming fine a crowd forms, amongst which Jacamo finds himself. Ultimately a Watch patrol takes over the matter, ushering the PCs inside the Opera House. Jacamo and Trixie follow the group into the Old Opera House. The Watch patrol verifies Deluxe’s story and assigns young Constable Barry to accompany Deluxe until it’s lance is stored and weapons registered.

Round 2 of auditions see two new judges added to the competiton – Aestrella, the star of the Old Opera house and darling of the city, and Jallarzi, a well known benefactor of the Arts in Greyhawk. Ayla and Aquisanna fall from the competition, though the Orc Huor impresses the judges with with his vocal skills.

Auditions finished for the day the PCs seek a temple of Pelor for Sir Deluxe, while Jacamo finds some rooms. Aquisanna leads the group to Pelor’s Temple on the Processional, in Clerksberg. The clergy examine Deluxe with great interest, asking many questions and casting several divinations on him. After some time they accept him as one of Pelor’s own, having him informally renew his oaths and arranging matters with Constable Barry, who then returns to his patrol.

The day ends with Ayla, Aquisanna and Huor performing for food and board, or a few coppers in Aquisanna’s case. Trixie spins minor illusions while the group performs and Deluxe stands security.

Meanwhile Jacamo has gone his own way for the evening, scouting the city in his darkware. He meets a pair of Thieves who warn him against unlicensed thievery in Greyhawk and of the severe penalties rogue thieves face. Jacamo ends up joining the Thieves guild!

Richfest 2, 591CY

The group meets up again in the morning and accompanies Huor to his third audition. All does not go as Huor had hoped and he does not make the third cut.

On the street, dejected, the group are looking to find work. Someone spots a poster – the Watch will pay folk of honest standing to collect goods for the Pelor’s Day celebrations. The group meets Sergeant Erkennis, who knows Aquisanna by first name, at the guild station and gains a comission to collect items for children in Pelor’s Orphanage. It takes most of the day to collect the goods and it is dark when the group heads back to the station… And are set upon! Ensorcelled and beaten with clubs the group looses the goods they had collected!

When they come to our heroes drag themselves to the station and face Erkennis. Although gruff the aging Sergeant seems to believe the PCs and sends out patrols to look for the assailants. He tells the PCs to rest for the night and come back in the morning.

The group again performs for their supper and a place to sleep, except Aquisanna who takes a few silvers and returns to her family.

Richfest 3, 591CY

After touching base with the Watch the PCs decide to investigate, starting at the scene of the crime. A homeless urchin at the scene, called Timmy, saw the whole thing and provides some small assistance. The PCs take Timmy with them and follow up on leads, prime amongst these being Beggars. Eventually they finds an abandoned warehouse outside the walls wherein lie their assailants. Several of the group take the front entrance, while the others take the side door. Forced to endure a deal of range fire while traversing a long, shallow set of stairs our heroes nonetheless emerge victorious – killing the last of the criminals in a rooftop fight.

Recovering their possessions, the stolen gifts and some additional loot the PCs return to the good Sergeant. Erkennis commends the PCs and has them promise to deliver the toys to the orphanage.

Many grateful orphans group about the PCs as they hand gifts out. It is only while later preparing for sleep that several of the PCs realise their personal wealth is missing.

Pelor’s Day, Richfest 4, 591CY

The party returns to the Orphanage, full of righteous wrath… The Matron Mother is filled with wrath and stalks off to the rooms of the probable perpetrators. Only to discover that two (a brother and sister) have absconded.

The PCs search the city again, this time for the two missing orphans. The trail leads to the Slum Quarter, in the direction of the Beggars Union. The PCs have a run-in at the Palace Of Rubbish that leads nowhere and, approaching evening, get a lead by confronting and cajoling a group of beggars near the city centre. They direct the group to a beggar man known to kidnap unwanted children for unknown purposes.

Well after dark the PCs approach the man’s squalid abode and kill a teenager standing guard there. Inside another teen surrenders and runs away. The PCs find the horrible old beggar upstairs, who reveals that he sold the children to a couple of cultists and spent some of the PC’s treasure. He returns the remainder. Hoping to save his own hide he tells the group where the cultists took the boy and girl – through the sewer grate outside and downhill.

During questioning the disgusting beggar leers some callous comment along the lines of “they are only human trash, if I don’t take advantage of them someone else will”. Trixie is outraged and stabs the man in the eye. The tiny Fae’s blade apparently cuts an artery, there is a spurt of blood and the depraved human drops to the ground, shuddering for a few moments before expiring.

As we leave our heroes they are preparing to enter the sewers and retrieve the two lost children.